Suction cleaner brush



7, 1939. E. F. MARTINET SUCTION'CLEANER BRUSH Filed April 4. 1936 warmly/M1 1 M Patented Oct. 17, 1939 PATENT OFFICE SUCTION CLEANER BRUSH Eugene I. Martinet, Cleveland, Ohio, minor to The P. A. Geier Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application April 4,1986, Serial No. 72,782

Claims.

' .The invention relates to brushes for suction cleaners, and more particularly to a rotary brush construction journalled in the suction nozzle of anelectrically operated, ,portable, domestic or 5' household, suction cleaner; and the present invention utilizes certain of the inventions claimed in my copending Patent 2,072,956, filed October 6, 1933, entitled Suction cleaner brushes, and constitutes improvements upon the construction shown in said Patent 2,072,956.

A suction cleaner is frequently provided with a motor driven brush journalled in its nozzle when the same is used for general household cleanin! purposes. It is, however, desirable, in such a cleaner brush construction, to have the brush adjustable with respect to the nozzle; so that the position of the periphery of the brush may be changed relative to the plane of the nozzle lips, to compensate for bristle wear, or to enable different surfaces, having different characteristics to be most efliciently cleaned.

However,- in rotary brush constructions for suction cleaners, whether adjustably mounted or not, certain problems are always present. First,

' dust and dirt particles passing through the nozzle always have a tendency to find their way to and collect upon the bearings for the brush, causing inefficient cleaner operation. Second, hair, threads, string and the like which are picked up by the brush have a tendency to wind up on the brush and in so doing frequently bind between the rotating and non-rotating parts of the brush bearings; thus retarding or stopping rotation of the brush and causing inefficient cleaner operation. Third, vibrationincident to the end journalling of a center driven rotary brush in'a suction cleaner nozzle tends to increase the noise made when operating a motor driven suction cleaner. I

The first two problems are overcome in a satisfactory manner by the construction shown in said- Patent 2,072,956. However, the present improvements not only overcome the first two probl'ems in a more satisfactory manner, but also 5 eliminate the third problem. Accordingly, it is an object of the present in- I Q vention to provide a-driven, preferably adjustable, rotary brushv construction for a suction cleaner with means substantially preventing dust and dirt particles from collecting in and about the bearings therefor.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a driven, preferably adjustableyrotary brush construction for a suction cleaner with means preventing the collection or binding of liair,

threads, string and the like between the rotating and non-rotating parts of the brush bearings.

Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a driven, preferably adjustable, rotary brush-construction for a suction cleaner 6 with a. silently operating brush mounting.

And finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a driven, preferably adjustable,

rotary brush construction for asuction cleaner which incorporates the foregoing objectives in 10 simple, compact and inexpensive manner, easy to operate, adjust or repair.

These and other objecm are attained by the present improvements comprising suction cleaner brush constructions, parts, elements, devices, in- 15 strumentalities, and combinations, a preferred embodiment of which is shown in the accompanying drawing and is hereinafter described in detail, and which improvements are hereinafter claimed, and which maybe stated in general terms as preferably including in suction cleaner brush construction, a rotary brush, means preferably adiustably mounting the brush in the nozzle of a cleaner, the mounting means including rotating parts on the brush and non-rotating parts on the nozzle, said parts forming telescoping rotating and non-rotating annular channels, one of said parts being preferably formed of rubber or other resilient or vibration dampening material, one of said non-rotating parts preferably lapping over v the end of the brush, and a shield preferably spanning the nozzle opposite to said overlapping part.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of an electrically-operated, portable suction cleaner equipped with the improved brush construction;

Fig, 2 is a section through the nozzle and portions of the brush, taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; 40

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing the improved brush construction;

Fig. 5 is a transverse. section thereof, taken on the line Bli, Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an other section taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 4.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts 50 throughout the various figures of the drawing.

A usual type of electrically operated portable suction cleaner is shown in Fig, 1, which may comprise a motor in a motor housing I, provided with a fan housing 0, having a fan (not shown) 5 therein, and a suction nozzle 9 communicating with the fan housing. An operating handle it, and a dust bag it connected with the exhaust opening of the fan housing also are provided for the cleaner; and the motor housing 3, the fan housing 3, and nozzle 9, are mounted on front casters l2 and preferably an adjustable double rear caster i3, for ambulant motion over a floor or the like indicated at l 3. The cleaner may also be provided with a lighting device generally indicated at B5.

The brush nozzle includes walls forming a tubular neck to which leads to the fan chamber,

and an elongated brush housing suction mouth ll.

The improved rotary brush is generally indicated at it, is provided with bristles l3, and is detachably or removably and adjustably rotatably mounted in the suction mouth ll.

The brush it is preferably motor driven, as shown in the drawing, and to accomplish" the same, an endless preferably fiat band rubber belt 23 passes over the brush pulley surface it and the end 22 of the motor shaft.

The bearing construction for removably and adjustably mounting the rotary brush it in the brush housing nozzle mouth ii, is best shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5. The brush member 53 preferably includes a main shaft 23, made preferably of wood, and terminating at each end in a reduced boss 26. A cup-shaped ferrule 25 is tight- 1y fitted over each boss 23 for preventing the ends of the wooden shaft 23 from splitting; and an axial hole 281s providedjn each end of the shaft 23, and through the adjacent ferrule into which an axle pin 2i is driven to make a tight flt.

A bearing block substantially square in cross section as best shown in Fig. 5, is journalled on each pin 2? by a bore 23, which is preferably eccentrically located through'each block; and the blocks 28 are retained on the axle pins 2i abutting the adjacent ferrules by split rings to mounted on the outer end of each pin.

An annular hub cap 3i, having a preferably squared closed end shank 32, is mounted on and encloses each block 23 so as to enclose the outer end of each axle pin 2?; and the squared shank of each hub cap 3i is preferably eccentric-ally located with relation to the remainder of the hub cap to correspond with the eccentric location or the bore 29 through the block 23. Each hub cap 38 terminates in an annular flange portion 33, which surrounds and overlaps the reduced boss 23 and the ferrule 25 thereon, at each end of the brush shaft 23.

From the pulley portion 2i extending to each end of the brush shaft 23 there is also provided a preferably tubular metal sleeve 34; and the outer flange-like end 35 of each sleeve 34 extends beyond, is spaced from and overlaps the boss 23, the ferrule 25, and the adjacent hub cap flange 33, and terminates in an outturned peripheral flange 35, as best shown in Fig. 4.

A mounting cap 31 formed of rubber or other resilient or vibration dampening material, is provided with a squared, tubular shank 33, and is slipped over the squared shank 32 of the hub cap 3!. The mounting cap 31 is also provided with an annular flange portion 39, which overlaps the flange 36 of the tubular sleeve 34.

Thus, an annular channel 4b is formed between the spaced annular flange members 33 and 33, of the caps 3i and 37, respectively; and an an nular channel ll is-also formed at each end of the brush it between the bosses'24 and the sleeve non-rotating parts is further increased.

amazes.

member ends 33. The brush partsor members 23, 2-3, 25, 21, 3G and 34 are rotating parts having an. annularchannel ti formed therein; and the parts 23, 3! and 37 are non-rotating parts or members having an annular channel .40 formed therein. Accordingly, the rotating sleeve member 35-36 is telescoped within the nonrotating channel ll and the non-rotating flange member 33 is telescoped within the rotating annular channel ll. i

A preferably integral brush mounting clip 42, preferably U-shapecl in cross section, as best shown in Fig. 5, and having spring retaining fingers E3, is rigidly mounted by rivets it on each inner end of the brush housing nozzle mouth ll; and each U-shaped spring-fingered clip M forms substantially three sides of a square as shown in Fig. 5, for receiving the squared shanks 38 of the mounting caps 31 for holding the same and the hub caps 34 and blocks 23 therein, in non- 5 rotative position in the cleaner nozzle.

A nozzle lip plate $3 is also mounted on the nozzle ll, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 6; and the end bars 43 thereof are preferably arcuately formed at 47 and spaced from the ends of the g noozle ll (Fig. 6) and provide shields spanning the nozzle opposite to the places where the mounting cap flanges 39 overlap the sleeve flanges a When the brush it is mounted in the nozzle ll, 3 as shown in the drawing, the blocks 28, the hub caps 35, and the mounting caps 3i are maintained stationary with respect to the nozzle walls by the clips 42; and the brush parts or members 23, it, 23, so, 34, 35 and 3t rotate, because the axle pins 2? mounted in the bores 26 are journalled in the blocks 28, when the brush is rotated by the belt 20 when the cleaner motor is operated.

By releasing the belt 29 from the shaft 22, and removing the nozzle lip plate t5, the brush [8 may be readily removed from the nozzle. Likewise, due to the eccentricity of the blocks 28 and the caps 34 and Slthereon, the mounting caps 37 may be inserted into the clip 32 in any one of four positions, which will locate the brush selec- Q tively at diiferent levels with respect to the plane of the nozzle lips; and in this manner bristle wear may be compensated for, and particular characteristics of the surface being cleaned may be accommodated.

The particular arrangement ofthe inter-tele- 5U scoping rotating and non-rotating parts 35-33, 33 and 33 and the channels to and t! formed thereby eifectively shields and seals the brush bearings against the collection of dust, dirt and the like.

Likewise, by locating the non-rotating preferably resilient cap member flanges 39 in positions overlapping the outturned flanges 35 on the ends 35 of the rotating brush parts 34, hair, threads, string and the like is prevented, in wrapping around the brush upon rotation thereof from entering and jamming or binding between the ro tating and non-rotating parts.

Moreover, by providing the shield bars 46-41 overlapping the flanges 39 which telescope over the flanged ends 35-36 of the brush members 34, the prevention of a collection of hair, threads, string and the like to bindbetween rotating and 0 Also, by providing the mounting caps 31, by 7 forming the same of rubber or other resilient or vibration dampening material, and by mounting the same in the spring clips 42, the rotating brush always operates silently and does not inu crease the noise made incident to the operation vices, combinations and constructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents thereof obvious to those-skilled in the art, are set forth in the appended claims..

, I claim:

' 1. In a suction cleaner including a nozzle and v a rotary brush, means at each end of the brush removably mounting the brush within the nozzle including a rotatable annular member on each end of the brush terminating in an outturned peripheral flange, a resilient vibration dampening non-rotatable-mounting member held by the nozzle having an annular flange at each end of the brush overlapping said, outturned flange,-and a shield. spanning the nozzle at each end thereof opposite to said overlapping flanges.

2. In a suction cleaner including a nozzle and a rotary brush, means at each end of the brush removably mounting the brush within the nozzle including an annular flange forming an annular channel in the end of the brush, a bearing block journaling the brush at each end, a hub cap mounted on the bearing block andhaving an annular flange extending into said channel, a resilient vibration dampening mounting cap on said hub cap removably mounted in the nozzle and having a, flange forming with said hub cap flange a second annular channel, and said brush flange extending into said second channel and said mounting cap flange overlapping said brush flange.

3. In a suction cleaner including a nozzle and a rotary brush, means at each end of the brush removably mounting the brush within the nozzle including a rotatable annular flange forming an annular channel in the end of the brush and terminating in an outturned peripheral'flange,

v a bearing block journaling the brush at each end,

a hub, cap mounted on the bearing block and having an annular flange extending into said channel, a resilient vibration dampening mounting cap on said hub cap removably mounted in the nozzle and having a non-rotatable flange forming with said hub cap flange a secondannular channel, said'brush flange extending into said second channel, said mounting cap flange overlapping said outturned flange, and a shield spanning the nozzle at each end thereof opposite to said overlapping flanges.

4. In a suction cleaner including a nozzle and a rotary brush, means at each end of the brush mounting the. brush within the nozzle including a rotatable annular member on each end of the brush terminating in an outturned peripheral flange, a non-rotatable annular flange held by the nozzle at each end of the-brush overlapping said outturned flange, and a bar spanning the nozzle adjacent to, but spaced from each end thereof opposite to said overlapped flanges.

5. In ,a. suction cleaner including a nozzle and a rotary brush, means at each end ofthe brush removably mounting the brush within the nozzle including a rotatable annular member on'each end of the brush terminating in an outturned peripheral flange, a resilient non-rotatable annular flange removably held by the nozzle at each end of the brush overlapping said outturned flange, and a bar having an arcuate formation therein spanning the nozzle adjacent to, but 

